Bowing to growing pressure, the Karnataka Government on Monday reinstated Kudligi Sub-division Deputy Superintendent of Police Anupama Shenoy. She was shunted to Indi sub-division in Vijayapura district for reportedly putting Labour Minister Parameshwara Naik’s telephone call on hold.
The Director General of Police’s order states that the earlier order posting Shenoy to Indi Sub Division, Vijayapura district, On Official Duty (OOD) has been “withdrawn” with immediate effect. Shenoy will continue to discharge her duties in Kudligi sub-division in Ballari district, in the same position she held prior to her transfer, and has been asked to submit a report about her joining duty.
The action comes a couple of days after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and DGP Om Prakash defended the unceremonious transfer as an “administrative matter”. There were also reports that the Congress high command had sought an explanation on the issue.
The State government had transferred Shenoy to Athani in Belagavi district on January 19. But, the transfer order was modified the next day, posting her to Indi in Vijayapura district. The woman police officer, however, proceeded on sick leave for 15 days from January 24.
The transfer of Shenoy had snowballed into a controversy with minister Naik claiming before his supporters that he moved out the officer since she kept his call on hold. While the reinstatement of the officer has come as a sort of embarrassment for the minister, the government has staved off possible voter apathy in the upcoming elections to taluk and zilla panchayats.
Neither the minister nor Shenoy was available for comment. In Hadagali, the minister’s supporters allegedly misbehaved with a television channel reporter after people started bursting crackers and distributing sweets on hearing about the officer’s return.
Earlier, in Bengaluru, former Congress MP Ramya met Home Minister G Parameshwara and urged him to revoke the transfer. Ramya tweeted: “Spoke with the Home minister Dr G Parameshwara and he has promised to reinstate Anupama Shenoy.”
Senior Congress leader Janardhana Poojari, too, had condemned the transfer and demanded that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah drop Naik from his council of ministers.
